White to move. Is white winning, losing, or drawing? How should white proceed?
8/8/1p6/2p5/8/p1N4p/2K4P/k7 w – – 0 4
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
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It takes white 4 moves win at h3, and retreat the knight to either f2 or f4, then another 5 moves to advance the h-pawn to h8 and queen it. Or, white could bring the knight back immediately rather than advancing the h-pawn immediately. Black can put pawns at c4 and b3 in 4 moves- shorter than it takes white to even win at h3 and bring the knight back. So, I don’t see winning the h-pawn as a viable strategy- it simply takes white too long.
So, what is left? Either white must win all four pawns, starting with the queenside, or force black to advance the a-pawn to a2 then mate with the knight from either b3 or c2. Since this has composed chess problem written all over it, I am pretty sure we are looking at a mate with the knight. But how to proceed? Since white needs black to play a2 at some point, the knight will have to be at c3 to take a2 away from the black king, or at b4 doing the same thing, so, I would probably favor moving the king first. Of the two moves, Kc1 seems more natural to me:
1. Kc1 b5
Here, a2 just makes white’s life easy: [1. …a2 2.Nd1 c4 (2. …b5 3.Ne3 with Nc2# to follow) 3.Ne3 and Nc2# can’t be prevented. More testing is 1. …c4 2.Kc2! b5 (2. …a2 3.Nb5 c3 4.Nd4 b5 5.Nb3#) 3.Nb5 c3 (3. …a2 4.Nd4 with mate to follow; or 3. …Ka2 4.Nc3 Ka1 5.Kc1 a2 6.Nd1 c3 7.Ne3 c2 8.Nc2#) 4.Nd4 Ka2 5.Ne2 Ka1 6.Nc1! a2 7.Nb3#]. Now, having played through these subvariations, the rest is just applied knowledge:
2. Nb5 Ka2
We now know that a2 loses instantly to Na3 followed by Nc2. We also know that c4 loses: [2. …c4 3.Nc3! a2 4.Nd1 c3 5.Ne3 c2 6.Nc2#]. Continuing:
3. Kc2
Only way to keep the black king hemmed in on the a-file. Continuing:
3. …..c4
We also know that Ka1 loses: [3. …Ka1 4.Nc3 c4 5.Kc1 a2 6.Nd1 c3 7.Ne3 c2 8.Nc2#]. Continuing:
4. Nc3 Ka1
5. Kc1 a2
6. Nd1 c3
7. Ne3 c2
8. Nc2#
Now, could white win this with any other first move? I think 1.Kb3 can possibly win, but I am not 100% sure since I am too tired to do a thorough analysis of the following line:
1. Kb3 b5
Here, c4 is eventually a transposition after Kc2: [1. …c4 2.Kc2 b5 (2. …a2 3.Nb5 c3 4.Nd4+-) 3.Nb5 Ka2 (3. …c3 4.Nd4 Ka2 5.Ne2 Ka1 6.Nc1 followed by mate) 4.Nc3 Ka1 5.Kc1 a2 6.Nd1 c3 7.Ne3 with mate to follow]. Now, white is facing the threat of b4 followed by b3 if he plays the king back to c2, and the black king will escape. On Ka3, of course, black forks with b4+. All white can do now is take at b5:
2. Nb5 Kb1 (else mate after 3.Kc2)
3. Na3 Kc1 (heading for h2)
4. Kc3 Kd1
5. Kd3 Ke1
6. Ke3 Kf1
7. Kf3
I am not sure, but Kg1 for black seems to lose to Kg3 and the white pawn should queen easily. Perhaps black has a drawing line in there somewhere rather than going for the h-pawn, but it doesn’t matter- 1.Kc1 wins outright for white.
i just got over 40 straight questions correct at the chess tempo site.. i got so many in a row correct the server started having glitches… it couldn’t feed the wolverine enough hard problems to make me get anything wrong.. i took my time and made sure i got the calculaitons correct…
this site doesnt appreciate my skill level at all. i post solutions and they dont get posted … my opionions don’t get posted…. so whats the point of doing these problems…its clear that this site is jealous of my abilties.. i don’t really give a shit to be honest because im not here to prove jack shit to anyone..
1.Na4 b7
2.Nxc5 b8=Q
3.Nb3+ Ka2
4.Nc1+ Ka1
5.Nb3+ Qxb3
6.Kxb3 Kb1
7.Kxa3 Kc2
8.Kb4 Kd2
9.Kc4 Ke2
10.Kd4 Kf2
11.Ke4 Kg2
12.Ke3 Kh1
13.Kf2 Kxh2
14.Kf3 Kh1
15.Kg3 h2
16.Kf2
***Game draw 1/2-1/2 with stalemate
Hi Susan Polgar,
Well,this chess puzzle is in surface well,comes with Stalemate / Draw,which are pretty simple combination.
But,if mind is invested in the puzzle,that leads,the White piece to win the game.
So guys tell me whether I should say the logic or give moves straight ? – lol. Okay Okay – you guys can’t answer my question immediately as this web site isn’t instantly interactive,so this last time,I will give the both the logic and moves for White piece’s win.
But Susan or any guy,just let me know,next time onwards,Which one will be interesting,either giving logic or moves ? – say not both : lol.
Logic for White piece’s win :
===========================
Avoid Stalemate /Draw,then eliminate Black piece pawns,convert White pawn to Queen,then clinch the win.
Moves to support the above logic are as given below.
======================
1.Kb3 a2
2.N*a2 b5
3.Nc3 c4+
4.Ka3 b4+
5.K*b4 kb2
6.K*c4 kc2
7.Ne4 kd1
8.Nf2+ ke1
9.N*h3 kf1
10. Nf4 kg1
11.h4 Kh2 [ Rest is child’s play for White to win the game ]
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]
The main theme is zugzwang!
1.Kc1 (zugzwang) c4
2.Kc2 (zugzwang) b5
3.Nxb5 Ka2
4.Nc3+ Ka1
5.Kc1 (zugzwang) a2
6.Ne4 c3
7.Nc5 c2
8.Nb3#
Obviously white must play its knight
around until black is forced to play
a2. With the knight in the right position
it should then be possible to mate.
It seems tricky though to find the right sequence of moves,
1.Kc1 c4
2.Kc2 a2
3.Nb5 c3
4.Nxc3 b5
5.Ne2 b4
6.Nc1 b3+
7.Nxb3#
1Kc1
(a) 1…. b5
2 Nxb5 Ka2
3 Kc2 c4
4 nd4 Ka1
5 Ne2 Ka2
6 Nc3+ Ka1
7 Kc1 a2
8 Ne4 c3
9 Nc5 c2
10 Nb3#
I agree, it should be a simple matter to force black to play …a2. I think the right start, though, is 1 Kc1.
1…a2 loses to 2. Nb5 c4 3. Nd4 and 4. Nc2#.
1…b5 loses to 2. N:b5 c4 (…a2 3. Na3 and 4. Nc2#) 3. N:a3 with an easily won ending.
1…c4 loses to 2. Kc2(!) b5 3. N:b5 a2 4. Na3 c3 5. Kc1 c2 6. N:c2#
there are a few variations, but not so many:
1. Kc1 a2
2. Nd1 b5
3. Ne3 b4
4. Nf2#
if 1. … c4, then
2. Kc2 b5
3. Nxb5 c3
4. Nd4 a2
5. Nb3#
if 1. … b5, then
2. Nxb5 c4
3. Kc2 c3
4. Nd4 a2
5. Nb3#
this ia just a transposition.
greets, jan
Hi Susan Polgar,
Well,as usual bright minds in this blog has given their opinion for this chess puzzle – Thats good.
My earlier comment for this puzzle will still stand good.
My choice was to go for initial White piece move : Kb3 – once this move is initiated,Black piece is left with three options to respond they are “a2/b5/c4” – In all the cases,White piece’s win,can be ensured.so I stand to the initial White piece move as “Kb3” .
=========================
Just for fun – If we assume Black piece player is a beginner – Then White piece can win the game in just three moves – lol. Would you all like to know how that is ?
1.Na4 b5
2.N*c5 b4/a2
3.Nb3++ Mate
White wins the game – lol
==========================
By
Venky [ India – Chennai ]
The h-pawns are superfluous and a parasite solution may occur, as Yancey Ward was the first to underline it.
1. Kb3 b5
2. Nb5 Kb1
3. Nxa3+ Kc1
4. Kc3 Kd1
5. Kd3 Ke1
6. Ke3 Kf1
7. Kf3
if
6… Ke1
7.Nc4
As a sidenote, it is worth of interest that on
1… c4+
we have a very funny non-solution-like but thematic variation beginning with
2. Kxa3!! b5
3. Nxb5 Kb1 (3…c3 is much easier for White)
4. Kb4 Kc2
5. Kxc4 Kd2 (heading to gobble the h2-pawn, but…)
6. Kd4 Ke2 (not the strongest move, but it is consequent)
7. Ke4 Kf2
8. Nc3 Kg2
9. Ke3 Kxh2 (and… you know what? we have EXACTLY THE SAME IDEA, but mirrored)
10. Kf2 Kh1
11. Ne4 Kh2
12. Nd2 Kh1
13. Nf1 h2
14. Ng3#
Without the h-pawns, it is a study by Von Jaenisch, without sources, 1837.